Meat brushing device



July 30, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN 3,394,421

MEAT BRUSHING DEVICE I Filed, May 31, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 24, i l I' 56 'NUENTOR 72 NOEMFM/ Fl. BEaw/A/ ATTORNEY? July 30, 1968 N. A. BEDUHN MEAT BRUSHING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 31, 1966 I NUENT'OR NOE/I74 F. Beaum/ en! @M,AM-AM- United States Patent 3,394,421 MEAT BRUSHING DEVICE Norman A. Beduhn, Oshkosh, Wis., assignor to Taste Master, Incorporated, Appleton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 554,063 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-3.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A slotted work supporting table is hinged to a base within which there is a waste-collecting pan to receive material guided thereto through a shroud which encircles a rotary brush having bristles projecting through a slot in the table. The brush may be raised and lowered to vary the bristle projection and its shaft has a pulley enclosed within a housing which supports the guide for a fence for directing meat obliquely across the slots of the table for the approach of its exposed surfaces.

This invention relates to a meat brushing device.

As is well known in the art, it is desirable to brush the surface of a slice of meat for the dual objective of removing bone dust and abrading oxidized surfaces to restore color.

The device herein disclosed provides a table top across which the meat is manually advanced and beneath which there is a rotary brush having annular rows of tufts of bristles which project through closely proximate slots with which the table top is provided. If desired, there may be more than one such brush, in which case the slots are desirably staggered. The brush and its driving mechanism are all mounted on the undersurface of the table top, the table top being hinged to a base to be lifted for access and for cleaning. In the base is a waste receptacle in which projects a shroud connected to the table top about the slots therein so that all of the debris removed from the meat is delivered into the container without being dispersed to soil the interior of the base.

The brush and the comb are both removable and may be turned end for end to prolong the period for which they may be used without replacement.

A stationary comb is mounted on the undersurface of the table top or elsewhere to engage the bristles and to dislodge therefrom all of the material picked up from the meat.

Particularly if there is a single brush and a single row of slots, a diagonal fence is provided on the table top to guide the meat so that it has a transverse as well as a longitudinal direction of movement as it passes over the slots, thus assuring that all surfaces of the meat will be brushed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of apparatus embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a'view taken in cross section on the line 22 of FIG. 1, the raised position of the hinged table top being shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in transverse section on the line 33 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in transverse section on the line 44 of FIG. 3 and showing the parts on slightly enlarged scale as compared with FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail view in plan showing a portion of a modified table top and portions of two sets of brushes used therewith.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view of the brush-cleaning comb in front elevation, portions being broken away and portions of the shroud being shown in cross section.

3,394, 12 1 Patented July 30, 1968 FIG. 8 is a view in cross section taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan View of the comb.

FIG. 10 is a detail view taken in section On the line 10-10 of FIG. 7.

While the base 10 may be mounted on a counter if desired, I have shown it provided with legs 12. Connected to the base by hinge 14 is the pivoted table top 16 across which the meat to be treated is moved manually subject to the guidance of a fence 18 connected with the table top by a reinforcing backing member 20, which is hollow to serve as a pulley housing.

The rotary brush hereinafter described preferably comprises bristles arranged in axially spaced annular series, the brush being supported at a level such that the bristles engage meat manually advanced across the table top. It is broadly immaterial in some aspects of the invention whether the brush is below or above the meat. However, it is convenient that the brush be below the table top rather than above it. Assuming that the brush is so located, the table top is provided with a row of parallel slots at 22 which are elongated from front to rear in the instant device and through which project the bristles 24 of a rotary brush generically designated by reference character 26. The table top has integral bands 28 between the slots 22 and these are very narrow. Because they are narrow, the material must be strong. Notwithstanding the narrowness of these bands, the meat would still show strips of untreated surfaces if it were moved across the table top 16 in a direction parallel to the slots 22. Regardless of whether the brush is above or below the meat, the fence prevents this by guiding the meat in a diagonal path so that every portion of the meat will be exposed to one or more brushes as it is moved across the table.

The bristles 24 of the rotary brush are mounted in annular rows of tufts upon a hub 30. The socketed end of the hub receives a drive shaft 32 and a cross pin 33 which keys the shaft drivingly to the hub carried in bearings 34 mounted on a strap 36 connected at 38 to the table 16 and having its opposite end 40 adjustably supported by nut 42 from the table top. The free end 40 of strap 36 is biased downwardly by gravity. Manually operable nut 42 is threaded on bolt 44 which depends from the table top as best shown in FIG. 3 and is rigidly positioned because it extends through a spacing sleeve 46 which is held to the undersurface of the table top by a nut 48.

The other end of the brush is similarly engaged by stub shaft 320 which is axially reciprocable in a tubular shaft 35 in axial alignment with shaft 32. Shaft 35 is rotat-ably mounted in bearing members 62 on an adjustable strap 60. The strap 60 is adjustably supported by nut 64 from the suspending bolt 66.

Within the tubular shaft 35 is a compression spring 37 which biases the shaft 320 to the right as viewed in FIG. 4. A set screw 39 operating in groove 41 limits the axial movement of shaft 320 in an outward direction while permitting such shaft to be displaced axially to the left as viewed in FIG. 4 to facilitate its disengagement from the brush either for reversing the brush or for replacing it. Reversal is important because constant rotation of the bristles against the work in one direction tends to give the bristles a set which reduces their radial projection. By reversing the brush from time to time, the bristles tend to be restored to their normal radial positions.

The reinforcing member 20 which holds the fence 18 also serves as a housing for a portion of pulley 50 where such pulley projects through an opening 52 in the table top. This pulley is fixed to the drive shaft 32 and receives motion by belt 53 from another pulley 54 on the shaft 55 of motor 56, the motor being suspended by bracket 58 from the table top.

7 Also suspended from the table top in a position to completely embrace the brush 26 is a shroud 70 which extends downwardly into a waste receiver 72 for which support is provided at 74 from the base 10. All debris centrifugally discharged by the bristles beneath the table top is confined within the shroud and delivered into the receiver 72.

Also carried indirectly from the table top by means supporting it on the shroud 70 is a comb generically designated by reference character 76. A channel-shaped molding 78 holds the lower convolutions of wire 80. The wire has upwardly projecting convolutions 81 which serve as teeth for combing foreign matter from the bristles as the brush 26 rotates.

A preferred method of making and mounting the brush involves the insertion of the lower convolutions 83 of wire 80 into the channel shaped molding 78, and the anchorage thereof by inserting a wedging channel 86 into the molding 78, and then slightly deforming the side margin 88 inwardly as best shown in FIG. 9, and finally filling the molding above channel 86 and about the wire 80 with cement 90. The cement may be of any appropriate type.

Mounted on the shroud 70 by means of ears 91 are clips 92, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 10. These engage the inserts 93 in the ends of the comb and permit the comb to be adjusted vertically by set screws 94 threaded into inserts 93 and arranged to seat against the bottoms of the respective clips as clearly shown in FIGS. 7 and 10.

Due to the fact that the comb is at one side of the channel 76, it will be evident that turning the comb end for end will move the teeth farther into the brush as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 8. Thus, any substantial wear of the brush bristles may be compensated by simply turning the comb. Adjustment of set screws 94 provides a relatively fine adjustment for placing the comb in the most desirable relation to the bristles.

FIG. 6 shows a dual brush arrangement including one brush 26 corresponding to that already described and another brush 260 which is similar to it and which has its tufts of bristles axially offset from those of brush 26. The table slots 220 are similarly offset respecting slots 22. Pulleys 82 and 84 and the intervening belt 86 transmit motion from the shaft 32, which is primarily driven, to the shaft 320 of the second brush.

When two brushes are used, it is not essential to have the fence 1 8 since the respective slots 22 and 220 are preferably staggered, as are the annular series of bristle tufts of the respective brushes.

When the operator places a piece of meat on the table 16 and moves it rearwardly, the entire surface of the piece of meat exposed to the bristles is acted on to remove bone dust and to abrade oxidized surfaces to leave the entire treated surface of the meat fresh and red in color. If the brush operates through slots in the table, it is necessary to support the meat between the slots 22 through which the bristles of the brush project. If the meat moved directly rearwardly respecting the bristles, its treated surface will have untreated bands. The oblique fence 18 requires that the meat move laterally as well as rearwardly so that all surface areas are treated.

When there are two brushes with staggered sets of bristles as shown in FIG. 6, the use of the fence is less necessary but may still be desired.

On the conclusion of a period of use of the device, thorough cleansing is desirable. This is facilitated by reason of the fact that in the preferred construction shown, all of the operating parts are mounted on the undersurface of the table where the raising of the table upon its hinge as shown in FIG. 2 leaves everything exposed for cleaning. Not only are the brushes, combs and shroud exposed but, as will be observed, the shroud is automatically lifted from the receptable 72 thus leaving the receptacle exposed for withdrawal and emptying and cleaning.

The operating parts are likewise exposed by the lifting of the table, whereby bearings can be lubricated and belts and brushes replaced. The debris from the meat does not lodge on the interior surface of the base housing 10, since the debris is confined within the shroud 70 and the receptacle 72.

I claim:

1. A meat brushing device comprising the combination with a base and a removable collecting receptacle, of a table top movably connected with said base and normally in a position to span the receptacle, the top being provided with a row of generally parallel slots, rotary brush means having mountings supported beneath the table top, said brush means comprising axially spaced annular series of bristles so positioned as to project through the slots, means for driving the brush means, and a shroud extending about the brush means from the table top to the receptacle.

2. A meat brushing device according to claim 1 in which the brush means is provided with a comb extending longitudinally thereof and having teeth engageable with the brush means to comb material from the brush means, the comb having a support mounted on the shroud.

3. A meat brushing device according to claim 1 in which the brush driving means comprises a motor having a bracket suspending the motor from the table top and driving connections from the motor to the brush means, said motor and connections and brush means being unitarily movable with the table top respecting the base, the table top having a hinged connection with the base.

4. A meat brushing device according to claim 1 in which the brush mounting means comprises at least one member supported at one end on the table top and having its other end movable with respect to the table top, the table top having a depending bolt provided with a nut, the movable end of said member resting on said nut to be adjusted thereby for varying projection of the brush means through the slots of the table top.

5. A meat brushing device according to claim 1 in which the table top has a plurality of rows of slots, the slots of one row being staggered with respect to the slots of another, said brush means comprising separate brushes having bristles projecting through the slots of the respective rows, connections for the driving of the several brushes from the same said motor.

6. A meat brushing device comprising a table top across which meat to be brushed can be manually advanced, a rotary brush having axially spaced annular series of bristles for acting on the surface of meat so advanced, means for rotating said brush upon a given axis in a position to act on the surface of meat so advanced, and a fence disposed obliquely with reference to the axis of the brush and adapted to require meat so advanced to move obliquely across the respective annular rows of bristles whereby all surfaces exposed to the brush of the meat so advanced will be brushed, said fence having a hollow reinforcing member above the table top, the table top having a slot opening into the interior of said member and the brush having a driving shaft provided with a pulley projecting into said slot, the pulley having a radius sufficiently large in relation to the brush so that the pulley extends above the level of the table top and a motor for driving the brush and having a belt extending into said hollow member and encircling the pulley.

7. A meat brushing device comprising a table top across which meat to be brushed can be manually advanced, a rotary brush having axially spaced annular series of bristles for acting on the surface of meat so advanced, means for rotating said brush upon a given axis in a position to act on the surface of meat so advanced, and a fence disposed obliquely with reference to the axis of the brush and adapted to require meat so advanced to move obliquely across the respective annular rows of bristles whereby all surfaces exposed to the brush of the meat so advanced will be brushed, the brush having bearing supports which are adjustable with respect to the table top for varying the projection of the brush bristles through the table slots, said supports and driving means being unitarily connected with the table top.

8. A meat brushing device according to claim 7 in Which a shroud extends downwardly about the brush and has means connecting it with the table top for hinged movement therewith respecting the base housing, the base housing being provided interiorly with a waste-collecting receptacle to which the shroud extends for confining and delivering to the receptacle waste discharged by the brush, the shroud further being provided with a comb extending transversely of the shroud and in operative engagement with bristles of the brush.

9. A meat brushing device according to claim 7 in which arm means connected at one end with the table top and divergent downwardly therefrom has free end portions and supporting nut means at the end remote from the table top, the table top having screw means meshing with the nut means for raising and lowering the free end portions of the arm means, the bearing supports being mounted on the arm means adjacent the free end portions thereof, and the arm means comprising laterally spaced arms between which extends a shaft mounted in said supports and carrying the brush.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,877 7/1957 Scott 153.l 2,932,042 4/1960 Scott 153.17 3,261,046 7/1966 Massaglia l53.1

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

